Cold
by Cheea5
Summary: Yuan wasn’t half as cold on the inside as he would have wanted others to believe. Continued! hopefully coming soon
1. Chapter 1

**Cold**

This fanfic is dedicated to Goldenfur because this was her idea from "Not So Formal All the Time" number 8 that, and she is my beta reader. She saved me from looking like a total IDIOT! Also, I hope my favorite author (Anarin) enjoys this as well seeing as she likes this couple. Oh, and I stole some things (ok, a lot of things) out of "A Selfish Want" By: 'Trickssi' Hehehe… I'm a thief… LIKE MATTHEW FROM FIRE EMBLEM! XD Matthew taste like Toffee! (Ask if you're Curious)

Disclaimer: I don't own any company. If I did, oh god the world would be in trouble.

Summary: Yuan wasn't half as cold on the inside as he would have wanted others to believe.

Ready for thirds? YUP! I'm a noob at making fan-fics. So be nice! Also this is the first serious fan-fic I have made. My first one is still going and for ToS (please read ) and made for humor. My second fan-fic is a poem I made so it doesn't really count, and this is my third

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"You summoned me, Lord Yuan?"

"There has been something that's been concerning me… There seems to be something on your mind and it's been distracting you from your work… If there's something I could do to help." Yuan said hesitantly.

"I assure you, it's nothing, my Lord," Botta replied not meeting Yuan's eyes.

"But with you occupied, I have all this paperwork to do on my own!" Yuan said pouting.

_How can anyone think this man is cold? _Botta's heart ached. "It's that…" Botta started hesitantly, "How should I word this… you see…" Yuan gave Botta an expectant look.

"Go on."

"…It's nothing," Botta said looking at the floor.

"Botta, the world is at stake here, everyone has to do their part."

_Here he goes with his 'Bring Yggdrasil to Justice' speech._

"…And the point is, you can't do your part with something on your mind," Yuan finished.

"I assure you it's a minor issue."

"If it was minor then it wouldn't affect your duties. Now tell me what's on your mind. That's an order." He said strictly. Yuan was now leaning forward, hands on his desk, and their faces were inches away.

_This is it, all or nothing. _Botta then leaned forward and caught his superior's lips. Yuan froze, bewildered. Botta then broke off and looked down at the floor. An awkward silence followed. Finally Yuan spoke.

"I need some time," Yuan said, waving his hand in dismissal. Botta quickly exited without a word.

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"You summoned me?" Botta said nervously. Two days had passed since the 'incident'.

"Botta, I think it we were separate for a while…" Yuan said. Botta was crushed. Separated? From Lord Yuan? "This is for the best." Yuan continued. "Besides… I need a capable hand at the other base, so…"

"So I'm being transferred there," Botta said quietly, hiding his crestfallen face.

"You understand don't you?" Yuan said, sensing his disappointment.

"Yes, sir…"

" You're scheduled to leave tomorrow morning… Dismissed."

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Botta was in his room packing his things. He was still overwhelmed by the fact he was being separated from his lord. He never should have taken such actions. It was too late now.

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_Was that the right thing to do? _Yuan shook his head. _This is for the best… I hope…_

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It been two days since Botta was transferred, but Yuan needed him now.

"Botta, it's almost time to fire the Mana cannon, but, as you know, in order to do so you have to complete this task. You know what to do." Botta knew what the 'Task' was because they had discussed it many times. He also knew the risks of this mission.

"Yes sir!" Botta said, saluting.

"I wish you the best of luck." Yuan was obviously nervous. There were so many things that could go wrong. If there was something Yuan hated more than paperwork, it was when a plan could go wrong in so many ways and he couldn't do anything about it. As Botta left Yuan watched after him. "Come back in one piece…" Yuan whispered so quietly that even he had trouble hearing it.

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That was Chapter one! Just so you know, this is NOT a one shot. Also, I don't like killing people so Botta will live… most likely. Please don't flame (Bashing that _doesn't_ tell me how to fix it) I appreciate reviews and constructive criticism (Bashing that _does_ tell how to fix it). I accept anonymous reviews, so please hit the pretty purple button near the bottom of the screen. Trust me it doesn't bite. Much…


	2. Chapter 2

**Cold**

I broke down and looked up the game script… -sigh- I've played the game AND beaten it twice but it's been a long time so I couldn't remember what happened… I feel like a cheater… By the way I think the script might have been wrong so I may have changed it a bit…

This fan fiction is sponsored by the voices inside my head. Don't be normal, lose your mind. Oh, and it's dedicated to Goldenfur because this was her idea from "Not So Formal All the Time" number 8 that, and she is my beta reader. Also, I hope my favorite author (Anarin) enjoys this as well seeing as she likes this couple. (I'm sure you are aware I copied and pasted this from last chapter but I'm lazy so cut me some slack) I'm making a shout out to 'Moonshine's Guide' because she favorited my story. And no I am NOT a stalker! There is a stat button and it tells me how many have added it to favorites and if you click on it, it tells you who has added it to favorites. I encourage you to review. I still am using "A Selfish Want" By: 'Trickssi' cuz I suck! This should be the last chapter I steal stuff. YAY! Trickssi added this fic to her alerts! I bow down to you. I also bow down to all reviews. I'll type them all down next chapter to honor you people, I've taken a lot of spaced already…

God I'm glad no one here knows how horrible my handwriting is. Ironically I'm not a bad artist and my poems and wallpapers pwn all! Well I'm sure I could do a whole lot better with a better tool then paint. I have to find pictures and a background that suits it. SUCH A PAIN! But oddly I find it fun. Well now that you have read all of THIS read Chapter 2!

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"Lord Yuan!" A voice rang out. This startled Yuan but he hid his expression before it could be read.

"What is it?" Yuan asked the female renegade on the communication screen.

"We have received a transmission from Lord Botta." She said nervously. She knew Lord Yuan wasn't going to like this.

"What are you waiting for? Play it!" Yuan was short on patience. He knew something was wrong.

"Y-yes sir." She said quickly. Seconds later the visual showed up. It was Botta and two more renegades. He saw a hint of relief in Botta's eyes.

"Lord Yuan, we have completed the mission. The Ranch is filling up with water, but the Chosen's group has escaped safely. I knew the risk of this mission but I would like to say that it was an honor to work beside you sir. I'm sorry but this is goodbye" The transition ended. Yuan didn't know why this hit him so hard. He had lost hundreds of Renegades at one point but some how this hit him harder then that.

"I'm not going to let you die and leave me to decipher these feelings on my own…" Yuan whispered. Was he going to risk the lives of the rescue Renegades for Botta's sake? They may be needed later, was he going to take such a risk? Whenever he did things seemed to go wrong so is this the wisest action? This risk is worth taking he decided. He sent the rescue team immediately.

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"Lord Yuan, The rescue team has arrived with a report of the events." A female officer said, saluting and stepping aside. Yuan caught a glint of sadness in her eyes.

'Did they fail?' Yuan though nervously, though not letting it show on his face. A Renegade marched in and saluted, Yuan only fidgeted. _'When did I pick up the fidgeting habit? It's not wise for a leader show weakness, it can be used against them'_ Lucky for him the Renegade didn't notice.

"What's the report?" Yuan asked. No reason to waste anymore time.

"We saved two of our men…" The Renegade said. If Yuan could see his eyes he would have noticed that he was avoiding his gaze.

"Who, and what is their condition?" Yuan asked almost fearfully. The Renegade stiffened.

"We saved Lord Botta and Renegade #0675217." Yuan almost released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding but stopped himself; instead he let it out gradually so the renegade wouldn't notice. It would only make them nervous if they knew their leader was uneasy. "But… there is something else…"

'_What else could there be?'_

"The Renegade is unharmed but Botta…"

"Botta what?" Yuan spat harsher then he intended to.

"H-he ah… H-he's in a coma and is slightly injured." The Renegade finished, standing stiff as a board.

"… Dismissed…" The Renegade left quickly, but not before glancing back at Yuan's blank face.

Botta was alive, but he wouldn't know if they succeeded or even lend support. He may never come around and he may die like that… This hurt Yuan. He will die without even knowing his surroundings. He will die on a bed knowing nothing when he could have died doing his duty with honor, and it was his fault. His thoughts were then interrupted.

"Lord Yuan, the chosen's group has arrived."

"I see…" Not long after that Lloyd was in his room.

"…You're back." Yuan said. The blonde chosen spoke, the one from Sylverant, Colette was it?

"Yuan. Botta is…"

"…He died." Yuan's voice showed no emotion. Next, Kratos's son spoke. What was it? It started with an L… Oh that's right Lloyd.

"Yes… He asked us to tell you that he completed his mission." For Kratos's son, Lloyd never seemed very serious, or intelligent. At least he was being serious _now_, for the moment at least.

"I see… Then we'll activate the dimensional transfer system. You may go between the worlds as you like…" What else could he say? There was no way he was going to give up on Botta.

"Is that all you have to say?!? Botta gave his life for the Renegades and-" Regal cut in.

"Lloyd! It is not our place to speak."

"This guy has been with that Botta for a long time. Nothing we say will make a difference." It was the Chosen from the other world, Tethe'alla, who spoke this time, wasn't he known for being a flirt or something? By that ridiculous grin I would say so. Also where his gaze is directed. Hmm… Looking at Sheena and not whom he's speaking to?

"…Fine" Lloyd said crossing his arms. The look in Lloyd's eyes reminded Yuan of Kratos's constant cold look, though normally Kratos showed a little emotion to Yuan to be respectful of their friendship… Though it couldn't quite be called that anymore which is a shame really.

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot. Our companion borrowed a Rheaird from you, so we'll return it to you now." Raine said, startling Yuan.

'_What is this woman talking about?' "_Borrowed one of our Rheairds? We haven't…"

"What's wrong?" This time it was the girl who was involved in an exsphere project…it was like Presea or something wasn't it?

"…No, it's nothing. We'll take care of it. Ask the control room staff about procuring energy for the dimensional transfer system." Yuan than walked over and gave Raine the tool she needed (AN: It didn't say what it was, it was something she needed to used to do whatever right?)

"… Yuan. I'm sorry." What was Lloyd apologizing for? It doesn't matter, Yuan had no time to think about those matters. Lloyds group left, but why shouldn't that? They have nothing left to do here, they needed to stop Yggdrasill. But the Rheaird…

"All of our Rheairds are still in our hangar. What is going on?" _'I'm also talking to myself? Where did I get these habits?' _Yuan sighed and decided to take a look at the Rheaird. When he did he saw it was the same design as his. "The only other person with this design is Mithos… So, they're being deceived." _'Again with the talking!' _ He didn't have time for this. The Cannon would be fired soon and he really should get to the tower of Mana.

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"Stop!"

"Kratos! Don't get in our way!"

"Hear me out! The Derris-Harlan core-system just finished calculating its answer. If you form the pact with the Summon Spirit, the protection around the Great Seed will be completely lost!"

"And that's exactly what we desire!"

Suddenly a lightning ball was thrown towards Kratos, but Kratos evaded it with ease.

"Don't you understand?! What you're hoping for will not happen!"

"Silence! Do you think we'll pass up this opportunity?!" Yuan began forming a second ball of lightning.

"Lloyd! Leave him to me! Go, now! Form the pact with the Summon Spirit of Light!" Lloyd's group took the teleporter to the seal.

"Yuan, don't get in my way."

"I have no choice."

Kratos charged at Yuan but he blocked with the Swallow and pushed him back. Kratos waited for Yuan to attack and sure enough. Clang! Kratos blocked the attack with ease. The fighting continued then Kratos tried to push Yuan to the side. This was a mistake because Kratos failed and Yuan was now more alert to tricks. And so the fighting continued…

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Hmm… That didn't go as planned… Well I had to cut it off or else I would have the first chapter short this chapter huge and the rest medium (I hope) so… yea. I would like reviews but it seems people are more interested in reading then reviewing… I'm like that so I can't get mad at you guys… Besides I haven't written in a long time… I was too busy hearing about the three S's from my science teacher. Sit down Shut up and Study! God I hate him… I whine a lot… Shutting up now… NO! That's **S** #2!


	3. Chapter 3

**Cold**

This is written so you know what Yuan is thinking but it's not exactly him and I didn't make it his thoughts. Just read it and you'll understand.

Dedications: **Moonshine's Guide**! Yay! I'm glad you liked that shout out!

**Trickssi**! I'm still stealing stuff from her fic so GO READ IT! Thank you.

**Anarin**! I ADORE her stories. Plus she likes Yuan and Botta. I prefer Yuan and Kratos but hey. I should make it so Yuan dumps Botta and goes for Kratos. That would be funny XD but I won't cuz then I would be evil.

**Dawnstarshine**! Everyone who has reviewed is an author! YAY! But they're like 'you need to fix this', and then I'm like 'I BOW DOWN TO YOUR HOLINESS!' and then they're like 'O.o'

**Goldenfur**! She's my Beta reader of course it's dedicated to her…

OMG! I can't believe how many reviews I got. It makes me happy Am I normally this random? Most of the stuff above was supposed to be funny so if you didn't like what I said then ignore it. But I'm still answering the reviewer questions. Yes, if you review anonymously I will still answer the question. I bet people STILL won't review… SO SAD! T.T –Sigh- well on with the story…

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Kratos suddenly ran to his right. Yuan instinctively followed.

'_Wait, is that the teleporter? Damn it!' _Yuan was quick to figure out what happened. Every time Kratos attacked he turned to the right ever so slightly and then it added up and until he was no longer blocking the teleporter. As Yuan kept running he realized that he wouldn't be able to stop Kratos. All he could do was hope that they succeeded.

"…You did it!"

"NO!"

Now that the seals were released the Giant Kharlan Tree was growing… And destroying Palmacosta in the process. Within the branches a woman was being encased.

"What's happening?!?" Lloyd asked in shock.

"Oh my g…" the red haired chosen was in shock as well.

"Is that…the Giant Kharlan Tree?" The young half-elvin boy inquired.

"…That person…I feel like I've met her somewhere before-," Colette said.

"…Martel!" No! It was happening again! Yuan couldn't bear to watch his fiancée being consumed by the Kharlan tree, yet he couldn't look away. This wasn't supposed to happen!

"Martel? That woman about to be consumed by the tree is Martel?" Raine asked in surprise rather than interest.

"She reminds me of someone. She reminds me of…"

"Why would Martel reappear with that giant, grotesque tree?" Yuan asked still shocked.

Kratos then spoke. "I was afraid this would happen…"

"What do you mean?" Lloyd asked, puzzled.

"Having lost the stability afforded by the protection of the Summon Spirits, the Great Seed has gone out of control."

"No! The purpose of the Summon Spirits was to isolate the Great Seed from the outside world and prevent it from growing!" Yuan said in alarm.

"That was only half of it. The two worlds were forced out of phase by

Yggdrasill. They should have drifted apart from each other and have been consumed by the void. But this was prevented from happening because the Great Seed was placed in the center between the two worlds.," Kratos replied.

"I don't need a lecture from you to know that!" Yuan shouted in frustration.

"The Great Seed is constantly being pulled upon from both worlds as they try to separate from one another. It's a miracle that this delicate balance held up for even this long."

"…Wait! So the mana links served as a cage to contain the Great Seed in the space between the two worlds? Is that what you're saying?"

"Exactly. And because you provided the unstable Great Seed with mana, the tree germinated in a twisted form and has gone out of control. It's even engulfed Martel," Kratos replied with his face showing no emotion.

"Who cares why this happened! I wanna know what's gonna happen if we can't stop this thing!" There goes Kratos's foolish son, he doesn't seem to realize that you can't find a solution if you don't know what caused the problem.

"…If what Kratos says is true, then Sylvarant will be consumed and destroyed by the Great Seed. And if Sylvarant is destroyed, Tethe'alla will be destroyed as well, as it is linked by the Holy Ground of Kharlan and the Otherworldly Gate," Yuan said. Presea then cut in.

"Then…everyone will die." Wasn't she optimistic.

"Everyone except that twisted tree and the angels that live on

Derris-Kharlan," Kratos said. How could he not worry?

"We have to do something!" Genis cried.

"But what can we do?!" the summoner asked in worry.

"Yuan. How do you plan to rectify this situation?" Regal asked expectantly.

"We can cut off the mana flow and stop the seed from receiving any more mana.," Yuan responded.

"But that won't subdue the Giant Tree. The process has already begun," Kratos said pointedly.

"Is the Giant Tree going crazy like that in Tethe'alla, too?" Zelos wondered aloud.

"Highly unlikely," Kratos answered. "Although I imagine they are feeling some effects, such as earthquakes."

"…That makes sense. Because Colette activated the process of world regeneration, the Summon Spirits of Sylvarant are now active. Therefore, the Giant Tree was drawn over here by Sylvarant's Summon Spirits." Raine said.

"Correct. The Summon Spirits exchange their respective roles of yin and yang each time a Chosen's quest for world regeneration succeeds. Currently, the Summon Spirits of Sylverant are carrying out the role of yang by providing the mana. But because the Giant Tree has over-absorbed Sylverant's mana, it has gone out of control."

"…If that's the case, couldn't we neutralize it by blasting it with the power of the opposing Summon Spirits?" Lloyd asked.

"…Whoa, Lloyd!! You actually understood what we were talking about?" Genis said astounded.

"Shut it, Genis! Professor once said that the negative and positive of a magnet neutralize each other. This is kind of the same thing, right?"

"That's not quite right, Lloyd, but nonetheless it's a clever idea coming from you," the professor replied.

"Even if we did decide to try and set the Summon Spirits of Tethe'alla against it, how are we gonna go about doing that? We can't get close to that crazy thing the way it is now," Sheena said.

"…The Mana Cannon," Yuan said.

"Mana Cannon? That machine Rodyle was building?" Presea questioned.

"We were actually manipulating Rodyle into building that. Before the mana links started to disappear, we planned to have Rodyle destroy the Tower of Salvation," Yuan said casually.

"So you're suggesting we feed the mana of Tethe'alla's Summon Spirits into the Mana Cannon and fire it at the Giant Tree. Hmm…I suppose there's no better option right now," Kratos responded.

"First, we need to shut off the current flow of mana to the tree. It'll be too late if the tree grows any larger," Raine said.

"Then here's the plan. Yuan, I'm going to pretend I don't know who you've been working with or what you've been doing. In exchange, you're going to order the Renegades to stop firing mana at the tree immediately. Meanwhile, Lloyd's group will head for the Mana Cannon," Kratos said almost commandingly.

"…All right," Yuan responded.

Suddenly, the area shook and then, a Renegade soldier appeared at the scene.

"It's not possible, sir! Forcystus has executed our Iselia ranch infiltration team!"

"What does that mean?" Lloyd asked.

"…The Iselia ranch is still operational. We had people working undercover

switch over the mana flow," Yuan said. How many stupid questions did he have to answer?

The red haired chosen spoke. "In other words, we have to infiltrate the place right now and stop the flow."

"…Then I shall go." Kratos said.

"You? Are you suggesting we should send you, our enemy, to do this by yourself?" Regal pointed out.

"I'll send some of my men," Yuan offered. He knew Kratos. He always kept his word.

"Preparations for the Mana Cannon, the shutdown of the mana reactors throughout the world—there are too many things we need the Renegades to do. You don't have enough troops to do everything," Kratos said.

Lloyd then spoke "…I'll go." Like father like son.

"What are you saying?! We have to head for the Mana Cannon!" Sheena mentioned.

"You and the Renegades can take care of the Mana Cannon. Kratos and the rest of us will infiltrate the Iselia ranch. Fire the Mana Cannon when we give you the word. You wouldn't be able to trust the signal if it came from Kratos alone, right?"

"Well, that's true, but…"

"…Is it about Chocolat?" Kratos inquired. Lloyd seemed startled.

"That's right. Chocolat is held at the Iselia ranch. Lloyd, you remembered your promise." Colette realized.

"All right. We'll leave it to you then. Don't let us down.," Yuan said trustingly.

"…Let's go, guys!" Lloyd said. Kratos rejoined Lloyd's group and Sheena left to do her assigned duties.

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That was a lot of information but it had to be done. Next time it will be based around Yuan instead of Lloyd's group so it will be a lot better. I'm so sure that the game script is wrong! –Sigh- Oh well, I'll live. You will too, so there! HA! Please review! I will try to get the next chapter up soon. I REALLY should work on Couple Bashers though…


	4. Chapter 4

**Cold**

I am SO sorry! So many things have happened and School has started and a bunch of drama...

Disclaimer (I forgot this last time...): I do not own...

Dedications: **Goldenfur**! She's my Beta reader of course it's dedicated to her… Also to **Ryna-chan **for reading when I asked her to (I think I spammed her with a review... SHAME ON ME!)

My only random comment is that I need to find another Techno song to be obsessed with...

**READ THIS!**This is right after last chapter (obviously) and lets just pretend Sheena came to the Renegade base. I don't think she knows the location of the Mana Cannon...

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"We should go to the Mana Cannon." Short and sweet, I felt no desire to talk long. The summoner nodded. I frowned at the use of the word; I couldn't help but feel contempt. I shook my head. She's not like him.

Sheena looked at me in confusion but then shrugged it off. "So, how are we going to get their, Rheairds?" I smirked. I decided not to answer her question; instead I pulled out my wings. I turned to her and grabbed her arm.

"Let go of me, you pervert!" she shrieked. I let her go but a frown showed on my face.

"Will you help us or will you not?"

I honestly wasn't annoyed. In fact I was quite entertained with her reaction. I knew this was what Kratos was talking about when he said I was 'easily amused in a sadistic way'. I disagree; I'm not a sadist, _Mithos_ is a sadist.

"How is that helping?" She asked. I sighed. I decided to just ignore her yells of protest. I grabbed her arm and, ignoring her attempts of escape, teleported to the Mana Cannon. The summoner was startled by the sudden change in scenery. She realized what happened and grudgingly apologized.

'_There really is no point in apologizing if you don't mean it…'_

"Listen carefully because I'll only explain this once." And so began my lecture on how to fuel the Mana Cannon with her summon spirits. Why was I teaching this? Kratos taught Mithos yet here I was tutoring this amateur summoner. Not to say she hadn't been impressive. "Did you follow all that?"

"Yes," she replied nodding. She had a spark in her eye that reminded me of Mithos when he began. My mind drifted to back before this all began.

"Martel…" I said the word quietly. Sheena heard me say something, I'm sure of it, but I doubt she heard the actual word. I couldn't care less at the moment.

"I'm going to my base," I said. After she nodded her head to indicate she heard I teleported to my office. Now we would have to wait... I was so tired of waiting after four thousand years. I sighed. I had no choice _but_ to wait.

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"That's the signal! Disciple of everlasting ice! Hammer of godly thunder! Servant of Mother Earth! Envoy from the dark abyss! I command thee! Gatherest before me and unleash thine power! Okay, guys! I'm counting on you!"

- - -

I watched it all from my monitor, the tower rising from the water, the Mana Cannon being fired, the Kharlan tree being destroyed, everything. But the worst of everything was Martel's scream.

"..."

- - -

Mithos stood up, shaky from his injury.

"You mustn't get up!" Altessa said.

"...!"

- - -

I shook my head. I need to contact Lloyd's group. I went over to the communication system and contacted the Iselia Ranch.

"The Great Seed is once again bound in the Holy Ground of Kharlan. For that, I owe you my gratitude. Thank you. It seems that you have managed to save the Great Seed as well as this world." Soon after I spoke Kratos responded.

"If the Great Seed is intact, then I presume Martel, who's fused with

it, is safe as well?"

"You assume correct…I'm sure that's good news for you. I wish I could say the same for me."

I heard some commotion in the background. I didn't really listen until I heard yelling.

"Stay away! Don't look at me!" Thud.

"Colette!"

"…It's okay. She just fainted. Let's take her back to the village."

"To Iselia? But Lloyd and I were banished!" I smirked at that.

"Colette's home is in Iselia. Besides, we can't just leave behind the people who were held at the ranch."

"…All right. Let's…go to Iselia." After this I finally spoke.

"I'll notify Sheena to meet you at Iselia. Farewell for now." I contacted Sheena and informed her of what happened and where to go.

'_Now that that's done I have other matters to attend to...'_ I left my office and started walking down the seemingly endless halls. I passed very few Renegades, who looked at me curiously (which I ignored). Finally I reached my destination, a door with a picture of two staves crossed. As I entered I heard some whispering. I glared in the direction it came from, silencing it quite effectively.

I walked over to the main healer and asked for Botta's room while doing my best not to be affected by the gossip. She smiled and gave me the room number. I nodded and strode off without another word; I could almost hear Botta saying how antisocial I was. I glanced to the left and noticed the room number I had been directed to. Hesitantly I approached the door.

'_Why am I so nervous? A leader shouldn't hesitate.' _Shaking my head I finally entered the room.

"L-Lord Yuan!" To my surprise a female Renegade was already in the room apparently with the same reasons as me... more or less. "S-should I leave?" I sighed softly. "I won't force you to leave, but it would be appreciated..."

She nodded, saluting quickly before leaving the room. I watched her glance back before leaving. She was most likely one of the many Renegades that fawned over Botta. I walked over to where Botta lay; I hoped this would work... I prayed to Martel that this would work. I prayed to her, not because she was a 'Goddess', but because she was the one that taught me this spell.

_/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/_

"Martel_, I can't sleep," a blonde boy whined. The green haired woman the boy was speaking to smiled._

"_Lie down."_

_The boy quickly obeyed. The woman lightly pressed her forefinger and middle finger to his forehead. The area she touched glowed, the light seeming to ripple out like when a pebble is tossed into a pond. "Good night." Her voice held a loving tone._

"_Good night." The boy said as his eyes slowly closed. The woman soon joined a blue hair man, Yuan, by the fire._

"_Martel, what spell is that?" Martel smiled._

"_I learned it from my Mother before Mithos was born." Yuan look at her curiously, obviously expecting and explanation. "What you do is tap into the sub-conscious part of a mind and instruct it to go to sleep, it's actually easier that it sounds."_

"_Would you teach me?" Yuan asked._

_Martel smiled. "Of course."_

"_Kratos, come be our test subject!"_

_The one named Kratos gave a snort but joined them nonetheless. "So what do I do first?"_

_/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/_

A coma was like a deep sleep to my understanding, so I should be able to use the spell to command the sub-conscious to wake up. Theoretically, it should work, but not everything turns out as what is theorized. I took a deep breath. Might as well try.

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That probably took me about three months to write... You know if you go into my profile and click 'Send Message' and tell me to hurry up and post the next chapter already I'll actually listen... I like reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

**Cold**

I am SO sorry! I will try to update more...

Disclaimer: I do not own...

Dedications: **Goldenfur**! She's my Beta reader of course it's dedicated to her…

Sorry it took so long -_-

**READ THIS!** This isn't entirely accurate (it isn't word for word) because that would be boring...

Time for every ones _FAVORITE_ thing, excuses! Yay! First off, this chapter has been done for months... and months... and months... I sent it to my beta reader and promptly forgot about it. I never got a reply... I found it again a couple months later and sent it to my beta again but this time I couldn't find her E-mail address so I sent it through PM, which might be why she didn't get. This time I didn't forget about it but I didn't want to deal with my computer, which got a virus... My computer is ancient; it's amazing it even has a mouse... Anyway, if I were to be honest, which is too much effort, I would tell you that most of the reason this wasn't updated was because I'm lazy but honesty is not my policy so it sucks to be you... I wonder if this chapter is any good... Review so I know, I don't feel like reading.

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Tapping into the subconscious is easier than it sounds but that doesn't make it easy. Martel had always been talented with this kind of magic, green magic as some called it, but I was not. I knew some healing spells but I found that they took too much time to cast in battle. I prefer upfront fighting with occasional spells. But it turns out that I was not casting in the middle of a battle but in the safety of my base.

I took a deep breath and started to build up the required magic. I closed my eyes and pressed my forefinger and middle finger to Botta's forehead.

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"_So what do I do first?"_

"_First find the magic in your body that you use for first aid, the one that feels almost soft." The blue hair man's eyebrows furrowed in concentration._

"_Found it." He said softly._

"_Took you long enough." Yuan's eyes snapped open. The auburn haired man who was in front of him, Kratos, was smirking. Yuan glared before flicking him on the forehead._

"_Bad test subject." Martel giggled in response. Yuan's eye's softened at the sound._

"_Why don't we continue?" Martel said. Yuan nodded while Kratos simply sighed._

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The magic flowed though my fingertips and a white light shined and seemed to ripple out into the air. Relax, concentrate, I told myself that so many times I lost track though I suppose this might show how bad I was at using this magic. Relax, concentrate. Soon the light dimmed and the spell ended. I stood their waiting for his eyes to open but to no avail. Slowly I realized that I had failed. Sighing in defeat I sat down on the edge of his bed.

Botta, why do I care so much? I haven't felt so protective since... My eyes widened. I haven't felt so protective since Martel! Martel... Am I betraying you if I fall in love with another? I closed my eyes, I don't want to think of this now. After what may have been hours I finally decided to leave.

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I was sitting at my desk fidgeting with some random object. Where did this fidgeting habit come from? Why am I even thinking of this? I should think of a plan to release Origin's seal. Kratos... No matter what I think of I always seem to end up brooding.

"This is hopeless..."

And now I'm talking to myself? I need a vacation... No, there's no time for that... After I regenerate the world I'll relax but right now I have to work... I rested my head in my hands. Do your job damn it!

"Kratos... I'm sorry..."

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"My body…I can't move." Lloyd sure knows how to state the obvious.

"...Do you want to meet your father?" I can't believe I'm doing this...

"What have you done with my dad?!" I would have thought he would have figured it out by now but it seems he lacks the intelligence... I sure hope Anna was brighter than her son... I grabbed his shoulder and led him outside, tossing him onto the ground. My Renegades promptly put a sword to his throat. I wonder when we started doing things low as this... But it needs to be done.

"…Kratos! The Renegades and Cruxis are enemies, aren't they?! So why?…" He still doesn't get it?

"Quiet. …Of course, the drug should have everyone sleeping soundly."

"Drug?! …Where's my dad? If you've done anything to my dad, I'll tear

every last one of you to pieces!" Like he could do that alone. And seeing that I could kill him any second he doesn't even have a chance. I smirked.

"Now, now, is that the way to act when you're about to meet your father

for the 'first time'?"

"So it was you. You were the assassin who tried to kill me at Hima." I'd forgotten about that. It doesn't matter now.

" Kratos. If you value your son's life at all, do as we say." Kratos flinched, so he did care.

" What are you…talking about?" I went on, ignoring Lloyd's ignorant comments.

" Release Origin's seal. Otherwise, Lloyd will die here and now!"

"No… Kratos can't be my dad. He-he can't! I won't believe

that!" I turned to Kratos.

"How does it feel to have your own son reject you like that?"

"…Humph." I thought I saw some emotion flicker in his eyes. It's been a long time since I've seen any emotion from him, I miss it.

" …I'd guess from your attitude, you don't plan on releasing Origin… If that's the way it's going to be, then he'll just have to die!" Kratos seemed startled. I guess he didn't think I'd do something like this... One of my Renegades spoke out.

"One move, and your son dies!"

"...You know Kratos, you changed once you got a family. Just like that time fifteen years ago. When Anna was transformed into a monster, you lost your ability to fight back." I surprised myself, why did I bring that up?

" …What?" Lloyd seemed startled, but why should he be? You don't willingly kill the woman you love. Or the man... Botta...

"If she hadn't been together with you... She would have never turned out like that. Such an unfortunate end." Why do I keep say such cruel things? They seem to exit my mouth on their own.

"Don't mock my mom!" My, my, such an intense glare. Suddenly Lloyd shoved my Renegade's sword away and ran towards me. How many times have I told my men not to let their guard down? I barely evaded Lloyd's attack, I really should pay more attention. I attacked Lloyd, no, Kratos. He shielded Lloyd last minute. Lloyd's eyes went wide.

"…Kratos?"

"…Are you all right? …Good." Kratos then collapsed.

" …Uh…ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!" I grimaced. Damn, he's loud. Suddenly, Colette came out at the scene.

"Lloyd? What's wrong? What's going on?!"

"What am I…what am I supposed to believe?!"

"Lloyd, calm down!"

"It's not true! Kratos can't be… The man who betrayed us and made you suffer, he couldn't possibly be…my dad."

"Lloyd, don't lose sight of who you are! No matter who your parents are, no matter your background, you're still you!" I rolled my eyes. You're you? I never would have guessed.

"I'm…me?" Where they going to stop talking anytime soon?

"You're the one who told me that no matter what I look like, even if I become an angel, I'm still me… …And don't forget…Kratos saved you." So Lloyd came up with that line, that makes sense.

"…Yeah, you're right." Lloyd turned and approached Kratos. "Thanks. But... I still can't call you Dad."

"Lloyd…" The chosen looked at Lloyd disapprovingly. He ignored her and went on.

"I hate what you…what Cruxis does." I second that. "Too many people have died. People from Sylvarant, people from Tethe'alla…Desians and Renegades and members of Cruxis… They're all victims. I refuse to accept the idea that it's okay to sacrifice people for a cause. It's not okay to lose your life. No life should be born for the sole purpose of dying. I won't sacrifice the world to save Colette. I'm not giving up until I find a way for everyone to live."

"Wow, that was an amazingly corny speech. Congratulations."

I tensed. No! How could this happen. I turned around to see...

"…Mithos?" Does Lloyd even realize who this is?

Mithos killed my Renegades and then turned towards me. He then attacked me. I felt the ball of condensed light magic knock me to the ground.

"Did you think I didn't notice what was going on? How pathetic. I had Pronyma keep tabs on Kratos, since it seemed he was leaking information to Lloyd's group." No, I didn't think you didn't know, I just hoped you didn't.

"Damn it! Yggdrasill! How the hell did you find out?" Why did I bother asking?

"That was a pretty amusing scheme you had going. Hard to believe those filthy Renegades that were always getting in my way…were actually led by you. If it weren't for my sister's wishes to spare your life, I'd kill you right now." Yggdrasill kicked me in the stomach. How humiliating.

"Stop it! Wh…what are you...?" Suddenly, Genis, Raine, Presea, Altessa and Tabatha all appeared at the scene.

"What's going on?!" Altessa asked.

"Mithos…so it's true…" So the young half elf figured it out.

"…What's true? That you shouldn't have trusted me? Good guess, Genis.

Because I didn't trust you either!"

Mithos suddenly attack Presea. Before Presea could take the hit Altessa shielded her, knocking him unconscious. Then the doll spoke.

"MITHOS…SAVED ME…"

"Shut up!!" Yggdrasill launched an attack towards Mar-... Tabatha.

"MITHOS…SAVED…ME…MITHOS…" At this point my head was foggy making it hard to concentrate and I must have black out because what seemed to be a moment later a moment later Yggdrasill was gone and Lloyd was saying something to me.

"…Are you all right?" After everything that's happened I'm not sure...

"With this, all of our efforts have been rendered useless…"

"You planned to form the pact with Origin and use the Eternal Sword." Was he smarter than he acted?

"Correct. And then, we would use the Mana Cannon to destroy that infernal tower, allowing the Great Seed to sprout. That was our plan. Upon learning of your existence from a Desian insider I was certain I would be able to force Kratos to participate.

"You…didn't approve of Mithos' age of Half-elves?"

"That plan was the result of a twisted perception of Martel's last wish.

It's not what she truly desired." Colette spoke.

"What was Martel's last wish?"

"She said she wanted to see a world free from discrimination." I stood up.

"You shouldn't move." I ignored Lloyd.

"There's no time. I must evacuate the Renegades before they are killed by Yggdrasill."

"Wait. Is Kratos really the only one who can release Origin's seal?"

"Yes. The seal will be released upon freeing the mana from his body." The man in handcuffs spoke out.

"If he does that, he's likely to lose his life." Why was he in handcuffs anyway?

"Yes. The seal is based on his own life."

"Kratos'…life… Are you saying we have to trade his life in order to get the Eternal Sword?!" I suppose Kratos would be glad his son worries about him.

"…Lloyd. You won't be able to use the Eternal Sword. It does not require the power of a summoner. You must merely be acknowledged by Origin. However, there is one thing you cannot do anything about."

"What do you mean? Yggdrasill…Mithos said that, too." Does it really matter what you call him?

"Only half-elves can wield it. That sword was created by Origin for Mithos."

"…What?!"

"..." What did he expect? Mithos is the one who made the pacts with all the summon spirits after all. I sighed and teleported to my office, there was a theory I was working on that could just save Kratos.

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Sorry I'm evil, I know! Reviews can start giving me deadlines for my chapters but they have to be reasonable... Review?


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